Is it good to spray plants with water?

In many places I have read that you have to spray the plants at least once a day, which is something that worries me a lot because not always a good idea. For example, if I did it myself, it wouldn't be long before I saw how the leaves were filled with fungus. And it is that in my area, both inside and outside the house, the air humidity is so high that the plants, if the soil is moist enough, have no problem quenching their thirst.

However things change if the air humidity is low. In these circumstances, it is good to spray the plants with water, because if it is not done, the leaves will turn brown and will surely end up falling.

What is air humidity and why is it important for plants?

The humidity of the air is nothing more than the water vapor found in the atmosphere.. This comes both from plants, which expel it during Breathable grips, like the oceans, rivers, lakes, and any other water course. Therefore, the closer we are to, for example, the sea, the more humidity there will be.

This is very important for plants, and even more so for those that live in regions where it rains little. In fact, the most famous columnar cactus in the world, saguaros, survives thanks to the morning dew; in addition to the rainy seasons.

We don't often think about it, but for a nice big cactus to grow, it needs to be hydrated. It's more: specimens have been found that have stored between 8 and 9 thousand liters of water inside, something really surprising if we take into account the serious drought that may exist in its place of origin.

However also necessary for tropical plants. In jungles and tropical forests, rainfall is usually frequent; so that all the flora that inhabits them has adapted to live in conditions where the humidity is very high. And that is also why they suffer a lot when they are kept indoors where the environment is very dry.

What are the problems plants have when humidity is low?

If a plant is in an area where the humidity of the air is low, either because it is exposed to drafts or because it is very far from a water course, then you will have these symptoms:

• The tips of the leaves will start to look yellowish first, then brown.
• Later, leaves could fall. They do not necessarily have to be completely dry; they might even be green.
• If they have flower buds, they will also dry out.

When should plants be sprayed with water?

Now that we have talked about what air humidity is and how important it is for plants, let's focus on the main topic of this article. Do you have to spray all the plants? And when? Well, answering the first question, we will have to do it in these cases:

• If they are exotic plants that are kept indoors.
• If they are tropical plants that are outside.

But in addition, it will have to be done only if the humidity of the air is low. As I said at the beginning, it is a very, very serious mistake to spray them when it is high, since that attracts fungi, which can kill the plants.

At what time of day should it be done? In summer it will be done in the morning and late in the afternoon, because the demand for water is greater; the rest of the year it will suffice once a day. But yes, it is important that at the time of spraying them do not give them direct sunlight or light, otherwise the leaves would burn.

What kind of water to use?

Whenever possible, clean rainwater should be used. It is the most suitable for plants, the one that they can absorb and take advantage of much better. But of course, in many areas of the planet this is not possible. For example, in the Mediterranean, rainfall generally falls in spring and autumn; what to do the rest of the year? In those situations, you will have to use a water that is fit for consumption.

In other words, do not use, under any circumstances, water that has a very high concentration of lime or other heavy metals, since these would end up clogging the pores of the leaves.

Summary: is it okay to spray plants with water?

We like plants and we want to take care of them in the best possible way. Therefore, it is good to read about them, learn about their care so that they are beautiful. But it is important to ignore everything that those books, web pages, etc. say, for the simple reason that that information that we have just read does not have to adjust to our reality.

For example, a person who lives in Spain but who likes to read gardening books from the United Kingdom, has to think that the climate they have there may not be the same as the one they have in Spain, so the plants need some care. a little different. Even without going any further: In Mallorca I don't have to spray the plants with water because the air humidity is very high.; but another person who lives on the peninsula, in an area where the humidity is very low, will have to do it.

So that everything goes well, we must know the degree of humidity in the place where we have our plants. Only if it is low, that is, if it is less than 50% during most days, we will have to spray them. How to know this? With a home weather station like this:

It is cheap and takes up little space. So it can be put anywhere.

As you can see, spraying may be necessary, but this is not always the case.